Apparatus for winding thread.



PatentedMay !4, |9OL F. CREE, SR.

APPARATUS FOR WNDING THREAD.

(No Model.)

WITNESSES qj faffi ali (Application filed Nov. 14, 1899.

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

W INVENTOR No. 674,4, Patented Ma 4, eo. r. CREE, sa.

APPABATUS FOR WINDING fHREAu.

(Application filed Nov. 14, 1899;) (No Model;) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' ES i INVENTOR ja! FRHNCIS O'REEfR.

- ATTORNEYS NITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

FRANCIS CREE, SR., OF DENTON, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR WINDING THREAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,114, dated May 14, 1901.

I Application filed November 14, 1899. Serial No. 736.987. (Ne model.)

To all whom zt may con/367%.-

Beitknown that I, FRANCIS CREE, Sr., a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Denton, in the connty of Lancaster, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Winding Thread, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus for windingsewing-thread in the form of a long cylindrical cop with conical ends suitable for use in lock-stitch sewing-machines which are provided with revolving carriers for the under o-lock thread.

The nature of my said invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed or carried into practical effect will be readily nderstood on reference to the sheet of drawings hereunto annexed and the following eX- planation thereof. e

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side View of one of my cops, showing the crossed coils of the conical layers. Fig. 2 is an end view of the nose of the cop. Fig. 1 is a longitudnal section of a long cylindrical cop of sewing-thread with conical ends wound in accordance with my invention, and Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the same bent or curved into a circnlar form to fit into the revolving carrier of the loek-stitch seWing-nachine. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of my improved apparatus for winding such cops of sewing-thread. Fig. 4 is a plan View of the same; and Figs. 5 and 6 are detached views, hereinafter more particularly referred to.

The object of the invention is to wind the thread in the form of a long cylindrical cop built up ofa series of cones superposed so that one end a of the cop forms an obtuse cone and the other end b a reversed or hollow cone. The thread from the hollow or butt end b is drawn through the hollow center of the cop and is delivered at the nose end a. As the thread is drawn off the cop remains of the same diameter and solidity to the end, but diminishes gradnally in length from the rear end b as it is drawn off. Another great advantage derived from this method of winding the thread is that it enables a cop containing a very considerable length of sewing-thread--say from one thousand to fifteen hundred yards-to be used as the under or lock thread of asewing-machine in a continnously-revolving carrier without any tendency to cause the thread to snarl or kink by overtwisting.

The im proved machine consists principally of a head-stock c, (see Figs. 3 and 4,) carrying a revolving spindle-holder d, in conbination with a reciprocating thread guide e, Inounted on a carriage f, sliding horizontally upon a bed-plate g and actuated by means of a slowly-revolving screw h. The spindleholder d is fitted with a small grooved pulley 7), driven rapidly by an endless hand from a larger pulley, which is actuated by foot, hand, or other power. The spindle k is tapered, and its buttend fits tightly in the holder d, its extreme end being steadied by a springsupport Z. cone m, between which and the thinner end of the spindle Ic the end of the thread to be wound is held tight. The butt-end of the spindle k is also provided with a cone n.

The bed-plate g extends longitndinally below the spindle k, and the carriage f, which slides along the bed-plate g, supports the thread-guide e, which is in the form of a lever moving rapidly to and fro in a horizontal direction over the spindle Ic. This threadguide e is moved horizontally in one direction by means of a rocking bar o, acting againsta fin ger p, and in the reverse direction h y means of a coiled spring q. The rocking bar o is actuated by a lever r, (see also end View, Fig. 6,) which is held by the spring q against a double cam or formers, driven by an endless band t from the head-stock spindle-carrier d..

The screw h for traversing the thread-guide carriagefis caused to make a portion of a revolution intermittently hy means of a jointed grip-motion u, (see also end View, Eig. 5,) connected to a levero, actuated by an eccentric or cani w, mounted on the spindle-carrier ol, and as the cam w revolves the levero will be raised to cause the cam-lever 'Lb through the link u' to grip the feed-wheelu and give it a part-ialturn. The working surface of this eccentric or cam 'w is made conical, as shown at a), Fig. 4, so that by shifting it endwise on its spindle d by means of the regulating-screw y the feed of the earriage may be varied. i

The half-nut z, (see Fig. 3,) which works on the screw h, is hinged to the carriage f,

This end is fitted with a loose IOO so that it can be lifted ont of gear With the screw h, when it is desired to move the car- :riage by hand to the extreme right, so as to commence winding` a fresh cop. It will be evident that the slowly progressive motion ot' the thread-guide carriage, combined With the rapid t0-and-fro notion ot' the thread-guide, will cause the thread tobe Wonnd on the spindle in spiral coils crossing each other and forming a series of sn perposed cones from end to end in the form shown.

The revolutions of the spindle 70 should not be exact-ly equal to or an exact multiple of the reciprocations of the thread-guide e. In the machine shown in the drawings the spindle Will make something over a revolution and a half for each complete back-and-Eorth movement of the guide e, and in consequence the thread will be laid in spiral coils extending from the base to the tip of the cone and back again, Fgs. 1 and 2", to form superposed conical layer-s with the successive spiral coils crossing and bindin&` each other in place. As this crossed spiral coiling is moved progressively forward from the conical butt toward the tip of the spindle a long cylindrical cop is fo'med with a hollow conical base and With the threads so bound together that the cop can be bent around into a curved form Without breaking and the threadtcan be (l rawn off from the in terior without catching or kinking.

The method of winding and its productthe finished cop herein dsclosed-form the subject of a separate application filed by me July 15, 1899, Serial No. '723,994.

I claim as my invention- 1. The improved apparatus herein described for winding thread into long hollow cylindrical cops, and comprising the combination of a winding-spindle having a tapered butt and means tor revolving the spindle with a th read-guide and means for reciprocating the latter in relation to the revolutions of the spindle to lay the thread in spiral coils crossing each other and feed mechanism to advance the guide in relation to the length of the spindle.

2. A machine for winding seWing-th'ead in the form of a long hollow cylindrical cop having a conical nose and a hollow conical base for use in a lock-stich seWing-machine, comprising the following elements in combination, a sliding carriage, a spindle provided with means for causing its rapid revolution, and With a conical bntt-end, a finely-threaded screw parallel with the said spindle and provided with means for slowly revolving the same, a half-!1nt made with a fine thread gearing` with such screw and carried by said sliding carriage that when placed in gear with the screw it will impart a slowly progressive endwise motion of the carriage from butt to point of the said spindle, and when thrown out of gear it Will allow the said carriage to be moved back to the butt-end of the spindle to commence a fresh cop and a rapidly reciprocating thread guide monnted upon the said sliding carriage, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereot' I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANCIS CREE, SENIOR.

XVitnesses:

JNo. HUeHEs, .T. ERNEST HUGHES. 

